Say hello (and congratulations!) to Jim Jaeger. He’s a Project Manager who joined Integrated Building Systems in 1997 and is retiring from full-time work this month.

Fortunately for his IBS colleagues and customers, this technology guru will continue to share his expertise on special projects as a Senior Designer.

“It’s important to me to provide solutions for our customers that meet and exceed their expectations, and are cost effective,” Jim said. “I’ve always operated on this philosophy: If you tell a client you’re going to do something—do it. It’s pretty simple, but it’s true.”

TECHNOLOGY, TORNADOES, AND THAILAND

Jim’s technology career path winds all the way back to his high school AV club.

He launched skyward from there, serving as a TV and Radio Production Specialist with the US Air Force from 1969 to 1973. Jim was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, the American Forces Radio and Television Service in Thailand, and Lowry Air Force Base in Denver.

Airman Jaeger in 1969 behind an RCA TK-11 B&W Camera with a Varotal Mark III 400mm zoom lens, mounted on a field boom crane. The base of the mount went from about 5 feet up to 10 feet, and swung about 180°.

Focusing on TV production landed Jim in a history-making role with the QUBE cable TV system. Launched in Columbus, Ohio, in 1977, this truly groundbreaking network introduced viewers to pay-per-view programs, special-interest cable networks, and interactive services.

TV game show host Bill Cullen and the QUBE technical crew for the first interactive game show “How Do You Like Your Eggs?”—which was broadcast to 200 homes in Upper Arlington during the summer of 1977. Jim is seated on the far left.

Jim’s most-memorable technology experience, however, was chasing tornadoes in Mississippi as a news cameraman. Says Jim, “While working at WCBI-TV in Columbus, MS, we were always on call for breaking news. Spring storms meant grabbing the film camera and heading towards the latest tornado sighting.”

WORDS OF ADVICE

To customers, Jim offers this tip: “Look for a technology contractor who’s a member of BICSI, the organization that’s in charge of certifying designers and installers. It means they follow best practices and standards of the industry.”

And to upcoming technology designers, Jim advises: “Never stop learning. Take every opportunity to learn about new and emerging technologies and products.”

Jim practiced what he preaches. He studied at Purdue University and completed his bachelor’s degree in Communications at The Ohio State University. In 2000, he earned the prestigious Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) certification from BICSI. Throughout his career he earned certifications from Allworx, Amp, Bogen, Cambridge, Panasonic, Sony, and many other technology manufacturers.

GET TO KNOW JIM

You’ll learn a lot about Jim from his favorite quote:

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a [child].

— Forest E. Witcraft

This famous quote comes from an essay by Witcraft that was published in the October 1950 edition of Scouting magazine. Like Witcraft, Jim is a Boy Scout leader who has devoted thousands of hours over several decades to teaching, guiding, and inspiring Scouts in Central Ohio.

Jim (seated behind the sign to the right) and his crew before backpacking over 50 miles in the Sangre De Cristo mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron, New Mexico, in August 1996.

Jim describes himself as honest, a trait you might expect of a respected Boy Scout leader. Jim’s IBS colleagues recognize his many other admirable qualities, noting that he’s adventurous, curious, sentimental, a problem-solver, a thinker, balanced across all aspects of life, and a beer connoisseur.

IBS celebrated Jim’s retirement in fine German style at Hofbräuhaus Columbus. Left to right, Chip Chapman, IBS President; Jim; Bill Helland, IBS Vice President; and Jim on a Stick, a new celebrity at the restaurant.